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CongEckhardttoSeekFederalHarris County Congressman Bob Eckhardt has asked the federal government to enjoin four major dredging ro-rnpanles from dredging oyster shell in Galveston Bay areas until they obtain the necessary permits.In a 17 page letter to theCorps of Engineers, Eckhardt charged t h a t the companiesare acting in violation of federal government,The law which is Irelng violated Is the Navigation and F lood Control Act of 1899, which requires permits from the Corps of Engineers todredge in navigable waters,the congressman said.In January, oystermen repot ted to me that two dredgeshad moved fromdeep East Bay to an irea near Smith Point, Eckhardt said. * I sent Keith Ozmore, of my Houston staff, to lo» :• into it, and he obtained photographs of the Trinity I, a Parker Bros, ship, dredging shell on top of Heartfield Reef.The congressman sent prints of the photographs to the Corps of Engineers to sub-stant late his ctiarges.“Two of the dredges arenow operating Instate MineralTract 197, in which they havenot even applied for a permit,1 ckhardt said. The dredgesa tv- now destroying the 25-30acre Heartfield Reef In that « «t ! i99I «The photographs taken by my al le show baskets of live oysters being taken less than25 fe»*t from the cutter blade ofshell dredge,*1 Eckhardt pointed out that atearing was held last May bytr *Haltof Dredging#f*OYSTERS VS. DREDGES - Smith Point oysterman BenNelson displays a cask* t of live oysters, taken from Galveston Bai waters near Sri ith Point, in an area where shell dredges have t een busy in recent weeks. One of the trudges about which protests have been filed alleging dredging of live oyster reefs is shown In the background.dredging companies.The Interior Department submitted certain stipulations which the dredgers were tocomply with in order to get their permits,*' he added.lt; tAt an informal meeting In October, the dredgers rejected the stipulations as a requirement for the jrermitsandmade it plain that they wouldoperate In defiance of the fed-THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1968 PAGE 3eral law.*’In a later statement, the 8th District congressman commented on the recent conviction of a Dallas man on charges of killing a whooping crane while on a goose hunt near the Aransas Wildlife Refuge.Certainly, the man should have Ireen punished. Nobody should just shoot at something and kill It without knowing what he Is shooting at. But the most the man could be rharged with is criminal negligence.But, on the other hand,these giant dredging companies know what they are doing. They know they are violating federal law. And they are doing it for money.’’this new action by the congressman Is the latest round In his campaign to save thelive oyster reefs In the Galveston Bay Estuary. He will be a featured speaker In programs of the National Wildlife Federation and the NorthAmerican Wildlife Coofeder-ence scheduled next month laHouston. Both preeeatattoaewill deal with problems of galveston Bay.• •••wy• •V.VSSSSSSSAVSSSSAV .VVI• tIIIXSteve Chandleroptometrist515 TravisPhone rE 6-4681LIBERTYVISION TRAININGCONTACT LENSESAAe e « e:• v• • * *.9 9 4• • •e e• * e e •9 4 4 4 4 0• • * •'Jfl **•••«• # e * ae * * * e• ♦•••• e e # « ee e e a e• * • • a• # e e e• e e • I e9 4 9 0 9 9 9 4 0 4 9 4 0 0 9 4 4 4 4 9 0 0 0 4 4 0 0 4 9 4 4 0 9 4 4 9 0 0 0 9 0 4 4 0 9 0 4 0 0 4 0 9 0 0 0 4 0 0 4 4 4 0 4 0 4 4 4 9 4 4 4ARMOUR
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Anahuac Progress
Anahuac, Texas, US
Thu, Feb 29, 1968
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USA 10 Mar 2023
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